They Rushed The Bridge

Albion P Howe

Along the Orange and Alexandria Railroad on November 7^th 1863 the Second Battle of Rappahannock Station was fought.

Confederate General Robert E Lee withdrew his forces across the Rappahannock River in late October 1863.  A pontoon bridge was left at the town of Rappahannock Station, the only connection to the north shore.  The crossing was protected by two redoubts and Confederate artillery posted on the south side of the river.

Union commander Major General George G Meade approaching the river divided his force.  Major General William H French was to cross the river downstream at Kelly’s Ford, while Major General John Sedgwick attacked the Confederates at Rappahannock Station.  They were to rejoin and move on Brandy Station.

On November 7^th 1863 about noon French’s force crossed the river at Kelly’s Ford, pushing the Confederates at the crossing back.  Shortly after noon Sedgwick advanced on Rappahannock Station.  Lee moved his troops to meet the threat on the two fronts.  Union Major General Albion P Howe’s division, a part of Sedgwick’s VI Corps drove in Confederate skirmishers about 3 pm and began to pound the Confederate batteries with his own artillery fire.  Posted at the bridge that day was Confederate Brigadier General Harry T Hay’s brigade with four guns of Captain Charles A Green’s Louisiana Guard Artillery, about 2,000 troops.  Sedgwick continued the shelling through the late afternoon, leading Lee believe the move against Rappahannock Station was feint to cover French’s crossing.  Sedgwick waited until almost dark, and then his infantry rushed the Confederate works.  Union Colonel Peter Ellmaker’s advanced on the double quick, surging over the Confederate works and fighting hand to hand with Hay’s men.  On the Union right Colonel Emory Upton’s brigade seized the bridge.

The Confederates gave up quickly.  Hundreds of Confederate soldiers surrendered, while others excepted by swimming the icy cold river.  There were 1,670 Confederate killed, wounded or captured in the short fight.  Union casualties were only 419.

Wounded Four Times

Union General Henry Baxter was appointed Brigadier General March 12^th 1863 after being wounded at the Battle of Fredericksburg.

Henry Baxter was born September 8^th 1821 in Sidney Plains, Delaware, New York.  His family moved to Jonesville, Michigan in 1831.  When gold fever struck in 1849 Baxter went to California along with 30 other men from the Jonesville area to hunt for the metal.  He returned to Jonesville in 1852 were he settled in and became a miller.  Baxter organized and commanded a militia unit known as the Jonesville Light Guards after moving back.

When the Civil War started Baxter was elected Captain of Company C of the 7^th Michigan Infantry.  He was wounded during the Seven Days Battle.  By the Battle of Antietam, Baxter was a Lieutenant Colonel.  During this battle he was wounded in the leg when Major General John Sedgwick’s division; of which Baxter was a part, was ambushed.  Baxter recuperated in Michigan.  He returned with the command of a regiment in time for the Battle of Fredericksburg.  At Fredericksburg Baxter’s regiment made an amphibious assault, driving Confederate sharpshooters out of the town.  Baxter was wounded again, this time in the left shoulder.  He received an appointment to Brigadier General March 12^th 1863, and the command of a brigade.   At the Battle of Gettysburg Baxter’s men held the right flank of the Union First Corps on the first day of the battle, his troops wiping out most of Confederate Colonel Alfred Iverson’s men.  When the Army of the Potomac was reorganized in March 1864 Baxter kept the command of his brigade, and was assigned to the 2^nd Division of the V Corps.  While fighting at the Battle of the Wilderness he was shot in the left leg; the bullet passing through the leg and killing his horse.  After recuperating this time he led a brigade in the 3^rd Division of the V Corps during the Siege of Petersburg.  Baxter mustered out of service August 24^th 1865.

After the war ended the United Senate awarded Baxter the brevet rank of Major General.  He worked as the Register of Deeds for the State of Michigan before being appointed by President Ulysses S Grant in 1869 to Minister of Honduras.  He returned to Michigan in 1872 and worked in the lumber business until his death on December 30^th 1873 from pneumonia.  He is buried in the Sunset View Cemetery, Jonesville, Michigan.

A good web site to find more is Henry J. Baxter (1821 – 1873)

Second Time's The Charm

The Second Battle of Fredericksburg a part of the Battle of Chancellorsville was fought May 3rd 1863.


Confederate Major General Jubal Anderson Early’s division was left to hold Fredericksburg, when General Robert E Lee marched the rest of the Army of Northern Virginia to Chancellorsville. Union Major General John Sedgwick’s VI Corps moved into the area on May 3rd 1863. Sedgwick moved slowly, as the memory of fighting on this ground in Dec 1862 was fresh. Early’s men were defending Marye’s Height along a reserve artillery and one division from Barkdale’s Brigade, strong out in a thin line north and south of the Heights.

Sedgwick moved through Fredericksburg below the Heights, engaging in artillery fire through out most of the morning. Around noon Sedgwick sent ten Union regiments against the Confederate defenses on the Heights. The lead unit in this assault was the 5th Wisconsin, their Colonel told his men, “When the signal forward is given you will advance at double-quick. You will not fire a gun, and you will not stop until you get the order to halt. You will never get that order.” The 5th charged forward with the other regiments following. The Union troops stalled for a time when they hit a concentrated fire from the Confederates behind a four foot high stonewall. Some of the Union soldiers on the right found a way around the stone wall flanking the Confederate left, placing them under an enfilading fire. Charging with bayonets fixed the Union troops captured several Confederate guns, and forced them to withdraw to the west and southeast of Fredericksburg. Sedgwick captured Marye’s Heights.

The Chief Commissary

Union Brigadier General William Wallace Burns was born September 3rd 1825 in Coshocton, Ohio, the son of Joseph Burns. He received an appointment to the United State Military Academy at West Point, graduating 28th out of a class of 38 in 1847. He served as a Lieutenant in the 3rd US Infantry at various Indian postings in the West and Southwest. In 1858 he took a staff commission possision to Captain as Commissary of Subsistence.


In the opening months of the Civil War he was Chief Commissary in the West Virginia Campaign under General George B McClellan. Burns received an appointment to Brigadier General in September 1861, and the next spring he was in command of a Brigade in General John Sedgwick’s Division of the Second Corps during the Peninsular Campaign. He rose to command of the First Division of the Ninth Corps during the Battle of Fredericksburg. Burns must have preferred commissary, as he resigned his commission in March 1863 and took the rank of Major, serving as the Chief of Commissary in the Department of the Northwest until the end of the war.

After the war Burns stayed with the Commissary Service on duty in Washington Territory and was promoted to Colonel in 1884. He received a brevet to Brigadier General for meritorious service in the Civil War. Burns retired September 1890. He died April 19th 1892 at Beaufort, South Carolina, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Couldn't Hit An Elephant

General John Sedgwick was killed on May 9th 1864 during the Battle of Spotsylvania by a Confederate sharpshooter.

Major General John Sedgwick had been in the service of the Union since the beginning of the war. He was well like and respected by his men who often called him “Uncle John”. As the Army of the Potomac arrived near the town of Spotsylvania Court House, General Sedgwick’s 6th Corp was ordered to General Warren’s 5th Corp’s support. Seeking shelter from the Minnie Balls which whizzed by them, some of Sedgwick’s men laid down on the ground. He chided his men for their concern under fire, but his men asked him to show more caution as the enemy was watching them from just across the field. General Sedgwick responded by saying, “They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance." It was than that Sedgwick was hit by a bullet, blood coming from just below his left eye, the General collapsed to the ground. He died quickly, supposedly with a smile still on his face. He was shot by a Confederate sharpshooter at a distance of about 500 yards; the man was using a .451 caliber Whitworth rifle. It is believe that the shooter was a man known as “Kansas Tom” Johnson, who was himself killed latter in the battle.

His soldiers would deeply mourn his loss, as did men; old friends, on the Confederate side. Sedgwick’s body was sent to his home in Connecticut for burial. He was the highest ranking Union officer to be killed on the battle field during the Overland Campaign.

For more information check these out
The Death of General John Sedgwick